of springfield



J. E. FLETCHER. ALBUM FOR PHONOGRAPH DISK RECORDS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.24. 1918.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

INVEN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EDWIN FLETCHER, F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN'OB TO THEFRANZ-YAHN SERVICE, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ALBUM FOR PHONOGRAIPH DISK-RECORDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

Application filed August 24, 1918. Serial No. 251,283.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN EDWIN FLETCHER, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Springfield, in the county of Hampden andState of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Album forPhonograph Disk Records, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in holders or containers forpluralities of pho' nograph disk records, and resides in a collection ofpocket-provided leaves having joints therein so that they can be foldedon each other or caused to assume angular positions, such leaves beingbound in book form, preferably with separator leaves between, all ashereinafter set forth.

The primary object of my. invention may be said to be two-fold: First,to provide an album for records of the aforesaid type, which album holdsthe records safely and securely, to the end that said records are notliable to slip accidentally from their places in the album, and thus bebroken or damaged, or to come into contact with each other, and sobecome scratched or otherwise injured and, second, to afford means insaid album for easily, quickly, and conveniently placing the recordstherein and removing them therefrom, and this with a degree of safetynot present in albums of theold t pe. What is meant more especially bythe ast statement is that the peculiar construction of'my album andparticularly of the leaves thereof which hold the records enables one toput in and take out the records with little or no danger or liability ofdropping them.

Another object is to provide such an album which is comparatlvely simpleand inex ensive in construction, yet strong and record in place in thepocket. of one of the record-holding leaves, and aportion of theseparator leaf therein shown being torn off to expose the back side ofthe record-holding leaf below; Fig. 2', a plan of said album similar tothe first view, except that here the exposed record-holding leaf isshown folded upon itself to illustrate one position for inserting orremoving the record, and Fig. 3, an enlarged, top edge view of saialbum, the front cover being open and a portion thereof broken off, andthe first record-holding leaf being bent into angular osition, incontradistinction to the foldmg in the preceding view, which is anotherand perhaps the preferred position of this or any record-holding leafwhile inserting or removin the record, and said last-named leaf being inpartial section.

A record or disk is shown in Fig. 2 as well as in the first view, andthree disks are shown in Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Although I have illustrated an album which is available for six recordsonly, it is to be understood that the album may be made to accommodatemore or less than that number. And the size in area of-the album will,of course, depend upon the diameter of the disks which it is to contain.In addition to these variations, modifications and changes may be madein shape, structure, and arrangement without departing from the spiritof my invention or exceeding the, scope of what is claimed.

This album, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a plurality ofrecord-holding leaves 1 which are provided with pockets 2 and jointed at3, a plurality of separator leaves 4, and'means to bind all of saldleaves together, which means will subsequently be described, togetherwith front and back covers 5 bound together with the leaves.

, Each record-holding leaf 1 is made of sufficiently thick and stronmaterial, ,and 1ts pocket 2 is located at t e right-hand side of saidleaf, with the mouth of or entrance to said pocket at the inner end ofthe short, front side 6 thereof, and above the front or obverse side ofsaid leaf, it being assumed that the leaf is normally disposed with theaforesaid side of said pocket uppermost. Furthermore, each leaf 1 1screased or scored to form the o1nt 3, the scoring being arallel orcoinciding with the inner straight edge portions of the side f the p k t2 W Whlch said leaf is provided, and extending from the upper and underedges of said leaf to an opening 7 in the center approximately thereof.The aforesaid side 6 is cut out in its inner edge portion, as at 8, tocorrespond to the adjacent portion of the opening 7 below. A disk record9 is receivable in the pocket 2 of any leaf 1. Preferably the side 6 ofeach pocket 2 extends beyond the vertical diameter of the opening 7 inthe leaf 1 of which said pocket forms a part, on the side adjacent tothe inner edge of such leaf, and the crease or joint 3 in said leaf iscorrespondingly located, in order to enable said pocket to take in morethan onehalf of the record and to retain the same amount when the leafis bent or folded at said joint for insertingor removing the record, inthe manner presently to be ex; plained. The object of thus proportioningthe parts is to decrease to the minimum the liability of the record toslip out of place accidentally. The openings 7 and cutaway places orrecesses 8 afford a view of the central parts of the records containedin the pockets 2, so that the titles and other reading matter usuallyfound on said records can be read, whether such titles and other matterbe on one or both sides thereof, without removal of the records.

The separator leaves 4, usually of thin material, are interposed betweenthe leaves 1 and between the front cover 5 and the front leaf 1 for thepurpose of covering completely those portions of the records 9 whichproject out of the pockets 2 beyond the sides 6, so that said recordscan not come into contact with the back sides of said leaves or the backside of said cover, or the centers of said records come into contactwith each other through the openings 7 and recesses 8. The records arethus thoroughly protected, and furthermore, they are held more firmly inplace bythe leaves 4:.

For binding purposes, in the present case, the leaves 1 at their inneredges are provided with thin stripslO, the corresponding.

edges of the covers 5 are connected by a thin backing 11, and spacers 12are used. The strips 10 extend under or behind the spacers 12 and theinner edge portions of the leaves 4 extendover or in front of saidspacers, while the backing 11 extends under or behind the outside spacerat the bottom or back, over the outer, longitudinal edges of the spacersand the exposed edges of the intervening strips and leaves, includingthe.

first leaf 4, and over the inner edge partion of said first leaf.Theparts thus arranged are securely fastened together by any suitablemeans, such as staples, one of which appears at 13 in Fig. 3.

Each spacer 12 approximates in thickness the thickness of a record plusthat of the leaf 1 which is attached to said spacer, so

first leaf 1, orany other record-holding leaf,

and such leaf is grasped by the right-hand edge portion and bent on thejoint 3 into pos1t1on to receive one of the records 9 and the same isinserted in the pocket 2 of such leaf, when the latter is unbent andagain laid down flat, the grasp being maintained on said right-handportion throughout the operation. In this manner any or all of theleaves 1 receive their records. Similarly any leaf 1 is grasped. bent onits joint, and held preparatory to the removal of the record in thepocket thereof and while said record is bein removed from said pocket.The leaf 1 is held in and manipulated by the right hand of the operator,each time, and the record is grasped in the left hand for the insertionor removal thereof.

For either the inserting or removing of a record '9, the leaf 1 may bebent into the condition or position, approximately, of that shown inFig. 3, or into the condition or po- I sition of that shown in Fig. 2,the first of these being usually considered the better and moreconvenient. In the first example the pocket is held in an approximatelyhorizontal position, with the remaining part of the leaf 1 more or lessclosely approaching the perpendicular, and it is very easy indeed toslip a record into or out of said pocket. In the second example the leafis doubled upon itself, with the pocket lying on the back side of thatpart of the leaf 1 over which said pocket is projected, and .said partlying on the uppermost leaf 4 which has been turned.

While it may not be quite so convenient to place and remove the record,when the leaf 1 is folded as in Fig. 2, as when the leaf is A bent intothe Fig. 3 arrangement or position, owing to the fact that the bottom ofthe disk or of that portion of it which remains out of or projects fromthe pocket it liable to come into contact with the underlying portionsof the album, or directly with the last turned leaf 4, yet is the fullyfolded position useful and meritorious. In either case the record is ma, position to' be grasped with the hands In such a manner as to insureagainst dropping the same. 1

It ma be possible to insert and remove a disk whi e the leaf 1 lies fiatas in Fig. 1, but it is not desirable to do so, because of the inreadilconvenience, and the liability to drop the record or to strain and breakit during the operation.

All records placed in this album are safe and secure, inasmuch as theycan not slip out of place in any direction, no matter in what positionthe album may be held, and whether or not the same be open, and whilethe leaves are being turned. When the album is open the ridge made bythe inner, bound edge portions of the opened leaves affords a completebarrier to prevent the disk 9 on the exposed leaf 1 at the right fromslippin from the pocket 2 of said leaf, so long as the latter lies flator straight, in its unbent or unfolded condition.

-Upon turning the leaves 1 and 4 any record desired, which is in thealbum, may be found, the turning of each leaf 4 exposing to view thetitle on the obverse side in the center of the disk 9 that is carried bythe now uncovered leaf 1, through the recess 8 in the pocket 2 of saidleaf 1, and the turning of each leaf 1 exposing to view the title on thereverse side in the center of the disk carried thereby, through theopening 7 therein.

The album is so fashioned and bound that it opens easily, and'whenopened at any desired leaf remains open and in a flat condition. Theleaves, with the records carried thereby, also may be turned readily ineither direction.

Necessarily some of the parts and members shown in Fig. 3 are greatlyexaggerated. and out of roportion, but the view serves to disclose t econstruction in detail, and to shOW, further, one of the receiving orremoval positions of one of the leaves 1. It willbe understood, ofcourse, that the album does not in practice occupy the position shown inFig. 3, when the first leaf 1, or any leaf 1, is bent into the angularcondition therein shown, but that said album lies flat 'as in Figs.-1and 2.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In an album for phonograph disk records, a normally unfoldedrecord-holding leaf jointed to enable it to be bent into angularrelationship, the one part with the other of said leaf, when the albumis open.

2. In an album for phonograph disk records, a normally unfoldedpocket-provided leaf jointed to enable it to be bent into angularrelationship, the pocket portion with the other portion of said leaf,when the album is open.

3. In an album for phonograph disk records, a normally unfolded leafhaving a ocket extending from an outer edge to an Intermediate positionwhere said pocket opens, and said leaf also having a joint adjacent tothe pocket opening, to enable said leaf to be bent into angularrelationship, the pocket portion with the other portion of said leaf,when the album is open.

4. In an album for phonograph disk records, a leaf perforatedapproximately in the center thereof, and having a pocket extendingfrom'an outer edge of to the vicinity of the perforation in said leaf,where said pocket opens, and said leaf also-having a joint whichextends, parallel with the pocket opening, from oppositely-disposedouter edges of the leaf to said perforation, to enable the leaf to bebent into angular relationship, the pocket portion with the otherportion of the leaf.

5. In an album for phonograph disk records, a leaf having a pocket witha short side extending from one edge of said leaf to an intermediateposition where is located the mouth of said pocket, said leaf beingperforated in the approximate center thereof and said short sidecorrespondingly recessed, and said leaf also having a joint which isadjacent to the inner edge of said short side, being parallel therewithand extending to the perforation in said leaf, to enable said leaf to bebent into angular relationship, the pocket portion with the otherportion of the leaf.

(3. As an improved article of manufacture, an album for phonograph diskrecords, comprising. with a cover, normally unfolded disk-holdingleaves, each approximating in area that of said cover, and adaptedto bebent intermediate of its bound and diametrically opposite edges.

' 7. As an improved article of manufacture,

an album for phonograph disk records, comprising alternately arrangedand normally unfolded disk-holding and separator leaves, each of saidfirst-named leaves being jointed to enable it to be bent intermediate ofits bound and diametrically opposite edges, when the album is open.

8. The combination, in an album for phonograph disk records, of aplurality of approximately centrally perforated recordioldingintermediately-jointed leaves, and binding means for said leaves.

9. The combination, in an album for phonograph disk records, of aplurality of approximately centrally perforated recordholdingintermediately-jointed leaves, separator leaves between said first-namedleaves, and binding means for said leaves.

JOHN EDWIN FLETCHER.

Witnesses:

F. E. JAHN, F. A. Curran.

